Julian Shah-Tayler, photo by Alex Tovar
Seven-time Grammy-eligible multi-award winning singer, songwriter, and producer Julian Shah-Tayler, a.k.a. The Singularity, has published his new track “Malicious Intent (The Untalented Mister Ripley)” as an introduction to his next album, “Honne/Tatemae”, which will be released on March 7, 2025, via Impossible Things Records. Shah-Tyler wrote, produced, and mastered the song, while Darwin Meiners mixed it. The upcoming album follows 2022’s “Elysium”, with Shah-Tyler releasing “Something Borrowed” covers in the meantime and the album “Hunger City” (2024) as a tribute to David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs”.
Congratulations on the new single, as well as on the recording of the highly awaited album “Honne/Tatemae”.
Julian Shah-Tayler: Thank you. I appreciate it!
Your previous award-winning full-length album, Elysium, is a concept album with a narrative story. And what about this new musical chapter – did your previous release lead you to where you stand now – artistically? Are there any similarities between the past and present in your music expressions?
Julian: Certainly. That’s a very intuitive reading of this next chapter. “Elysium” was a very optimistic album based on my budding love affair, and unfortunately “Honne Tatemae” is the continuation of that story post-breakup. The songs chart the tumultuous emotional journey through the end of the relationship through the soul-searching process and the joys, despairs and frustrations surrounding that death of hope.
It starts with an optimistic outlook and ends with a more pessimistic and dark view. My thoughts are often balanced on the precipice between light and dark. I see myself in “real life” as a joyful and positive person who uses art to achieve catharsis. Each song on the album can be seen as a spell of creation or dissolution of emotional turmoil. The irony of it is the darker the song, the more relief I seek and definitely achieve.
You have worked with several exceptional musicians on your upcoming album. Could you say something more about these collaborations? Are you satisfied with the whole story?
Julian: Mike Garson and Carmine Rojas (Bowie’s collaborators) feature on this album alongside David J (Bauhaus), Chris Olivas (Berlin), Mark Damian and new superstar Ashley Ross on bvs and violin. My daughter, Phoebe sings and plays keyboards on several of the songs that she belongs on narratively. I’m thrilled to be working with all of these stellar talents. When Mike (Garson) sent me his piano parts for the closer (Lights Out) I was stunned with how brilliant his playing is and automatically changed the entire arrangement to accommodate his genius. The greatest rock piano player in history is on my song. It’s both humbling and exhilarating. Carmine’s bass playing is on a couple of the tunes on this record. He is one of the finest players in the world, having played in Bowie’s Let’s Dance band and his friendship and playing are very valuable to me. David J has been a fascinating, almost mentor-like figure to me and it’s an honour working with him. I love Chris’ rock sensibilities as they push me into a heavier and more powerful direction. Mark is one of the best drummers alive. Ash Ross is a brilliant and new superstar in the making. Watch out for her. Phoebe is the light of my life. Robert Margouleff (Stevie wonder/devo) co-produced a couple of songs. He needs no introduction as a legend of the scene. Darwin Meiners (night crickets) mixes several songs. He is brilliant and one of my close friends Nathan Van Hala mixed a couple. His ears are brilliant and he’s a good friend.
Which feeling or atmosphere might describe the new album’s ethos? What is the background of Honne/Tatemae?
Julian: The atmosphere is generally darker and more experimental than “Elysium” as most of the songs come from a sad and more self-contemplative space. The emotional tone veers from hopeful to sad and angry. It’s derived from a great deal of resolute disappointment and surrender to the process of both aging and emotional entropy. We are hurtling towards a future of abject uncertainty and all we can do is experience and accept.
I find a spiritual peace through this kind of blank examination. It’s part of the hard process to find peace and tranquility through that observation.
Your music is highly personal, and listeners can discover much more about you when they closely pay attention to the lyrics. But, what did you discover about yourself during the process of creating the album?
Julian: I discovered that I’m very lucky to access therapy through the lyrics. It’s both elevating and frightening to be so vulnerable and share so publicly. I was heckled in Toronto that I’m trying to be Taylor Swift in the content of my lyrics. I choose to see that as a compliment… lol . Creating this record was a necessary step in growing past the emotional devastation of the last year or so. Things that seem so important in the moment are merely distractions along the path to self-knowledge. It’s terribly painful to go through, but I’m grateful to each part of the process.
Your songs are very profound and sensuous, especially when it comes to the lyrics. You said before, I read it somewhere, that songwriters have a deeper influence on you than most of the people around you. What made you so “romantically invested” in poetry and songwriting, as well?
Julian: Thank you! I’m a person that feels enormously deeply and it is hard to make sense of that as a man in this epoch. We’re taught to pocket our emotions and embrace stoicism beyond and against our humanity, so it’s incredibly important to me to access a community of thinkers who can express those depths and become part of a wider and truly universal human consciousness. It’s the only way I can connect with the real world beyond the fractious and prosaic dimensions of everyday life. I often listen to thinkers like Alan Watts and Joseph Campbell to try to access joy without embarrassment.
It appears that you are more than just an observer of the world regarding the music you compose. You advance even further – your lines are deeply introspective. In this context, why is it important to remain true to yourself and your surroundings? What type of truth lies beneath it?
Julian: The truth is in the underlying emotional content. Some of the songs are simply naked emotion pursuing an outlet, but others are secret messages to myself and others (loved ones and true enemies) Some are designed as literal “spells” containing cryptic references to puncture the quantum field musically and verbally. Certain songs contain sound frequencies intended to affect the listener subconsciously. Some contain the sounds of the planets filtered through radio interpolations. The truth that lies beneath the songs can only be felt. They can only be fully accessed by hearing the album as a whole. I practice transcendence and I’m trying to “catch the big fish” through laying diamond net.
David Bowie had a significant influence on you. You lead a band that performs Bowie tribute concerts, and you also covered Bowie’s Diamond Dogs (1974) on the album Hunger City. From your artistic perspective, what is that distinctive quality that renders Bowie a standout Virtuoso, and what captivated you so profoundly to explore his work of art? What intrigues you the most about Bowie’s remarkable talent and his elegant persona?
Julian: All of the intentions and artistic qualities that Bowie embodied gave rise to my own deeply silly pretentions. And his coolness!
Along with your musical journey, you worked with many remarkable individuals from the music scene. Could you name a few collaborations that made a significant impression on you? In this regard, what makes the perfect synergy?
Julian: Mike Garson is the standout. He is the greatest rock piano player of all time. I’ve never felt so elevated by a guest performer on one of my songs. David J and I have a similar approach to the avant garde and working with him is always a great pleasure. Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama and Shakespear’s Sister taught me a lot about writing some catchy and cool soul songs. Robert Margouleff is the cornerstone of the producer I am today. His work is beyond brilliant. A great synergy exists between us when we work together. I feel I finally have enough distance from “Whitey” to praise his genius and I miss the sublime moments when a new collaboration came to reality. His sense of elegant simplicity and space coupled with my instrumental abilities and songwriting ideas really worked well together. Carmine Rojas and I share a musical language that I value deeply and he is the finest man in rock. Alain Whyte (Morrissey) and I share a deep love and passion for what we do, and though we’ve worked together slightly, I cherish those moments and love him as a musical brother. Daisy O’Dell and I are siblings in music and I love working with her. Darwin is a genius who deserves so much praise for his beautiful songs and long suffering mixing skills.
There is an interesting fact – you got into philosophy and ended up studying at university after hearing The Cure’s Robert Smith discuss French author and philosopher Albert Camus. In this respect, do you think that the music we enjoy or the things we cherished in our youth, in some way, shape our direction in life? What is your experience?
Julian: I believe art is the cornerstone of our humanity. For some people it’s music, for others it’s architecture or movies etc. If it was deeply felt at the turn of your coming of age in your early teens, it defines you. You are laying all the deep building blocks of your individuality, your separation from the parents, your selfhood. I was at boarding school and even further separated than most from human/family Love and sentiment, so I derived my necessary connections from the music I was listening to. For me it just happened to be The Cure, The Pixies, the Beatles the Stone Roses and Prince. That’s my psychological DNA. It’s broadly arty, earthy with a healthy dose of experiment and psychedelia.
Jon Lennon’s philosophical discussions also significantly impacted you. How do you perceive his point of view, particularly regarding Love?
Julian: Love is everything to me. It infuses everything I do. My one great love is my daughter, Phoebe. Flawed as he was a human, John’s intention was to try to put as much Love as he could into the world, which is my intention too.
Returning to the upcoming album – are there any plans when it comes to the promotion?
Julian: The first single, “Malicious Intent” will involve a cleansing of fire to burn away my anger and resentment. I believe the other songs will also contain a magical and broadly peaceful promotion. As I pursue that one in fire, so I believe the next single “sufferation” will be celebrated in water.
Thank you, Julian.
Julian: Thank you, Katarina. What an honour
Julian Shah-Tayler was born in Leeds, England, and graduated with a philosophy degree at York University. Influenced by New Wave, Britpop, and Electronic Rock, Julian also plays in Strangelove, a Depeche Mode tribute band, as well as The Band That Fell To Earth, a David Bowie homage group. He has a successful music career, both as a solo artist under the name The Singularity, and as a collaboration with numerous musicians and producers. Among other things, he got a “Golden Trailer” award for his collaboration with Lana Del Ray on the Disney film Maleficent trailer, and “Tellavision” played one of his songs at the Oscars’ “Unite for Humanity” charity event. Catherine Hardwicke (director of Twilight) utilised three of his tracks in the music film “Plush”.
As stated, Julian has had a few great years. As well as opening up on tour for Strangelove the Depeche Mode Experience, he was listed on 7 Grammy ballots and earned a #4 New Wave album of the year (2023) for his album “Elysium” as well as being listed in the New Age piano category for 2 Grammy ballot positions as engineer/producer on Wayne Bethanis’ #1 piano album “Listen”.
Socials:
http://www.julianshahtayler.com
https://www.facebook.com/thesingularitymusic
http://www.instagram.com/the_singularity_music
http://www.youtube.com/thesingularityband
http://tiktok.com/julianshahtayler
“Malicious Intent (The Untalented Mister Ripley)” by Julian Shah-Tayler aka The Singularity Music (featuring Remixes by Danny Saber/Flip X), mixed by Darwin Meiners, with Ash Ross (backup vocals), is available:
https://promo.theorchard.com/RuuPCKOXNfS5knrALPxz
Released on all platforms: 20th December 2024. From the upcoming full length: “Honne/Tatemae” out in 2025
DANNY SABER REMIX, Malicious/Delicious:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_HKrkljcHBA5sqU2Ajrckwdw3fLoLi3h/view
FLIPX Remix: Snake Oil Salesman Mix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B0mE48xhzxbwVll-k1qaziHBjc9G-exu/view
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